Cloth laying machine having intermittent positive feeding means



Nov. 8, 1966 M. MERRILL 3,284,017

E. CLOTH LAYING MACHINE HAVING INTERMITTENT POSITIVE FEEDING MEANS FiledSept. 22, 1965 United States Patent Ofiice 3,284,017 CLOTH LAYINGMACHINE HAVING INTER- MITTENT POSITIVE FEEDING MEANS Edward M. Merrill,Sayville, N.Y., assignor to Cutting Room Appliances Corp., New York,N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 489,214 1Claim. (Cl. 242-75.43)

This invention relates generally to the field of cloth laying machinesof a type adapted to dispense a Web of cloth upon the surface of a clothlaying table with the reciprocation of a carriage thereover. Devices ofthis general type are known in the art, and the invention lies inspecific constructional details which lend themselves to the handling ofheavy cloth bolts.

In devices of this type, considerable inertial forces are involved inthe starting and stopping of rotation of the cloth supply roll as wellas the positive feed {T011 or rollers, owing to the heavy mass of thesame and consequent high rotational inertia.

In the co-pending application of Gerard J. Wendelken, Serial No.329,587, filed December 10, 1963, now Patent No. 3,227,390, saidapplication having been assigned to the same assignee as the instantapplication, there is disclosed a cloth roll accelerating meansemploying an electric motor which serves selectively as a means ofaccelerating a cloth roll from rest upon a demand for cloth supply, oras a dynamic braking means to slow the roll upon the occurrence ofexcess length in the cloth web. A device of this type contemplates arotational speed of the cloth supply roll greater than actual clothrequirements, and during operation the motor is continuouslyaccelerating or decelerating the cloth roll in accordance withrequirements.

While the embodiment disclosed in said application has proved to be veryuseful, very large cloth laying machines have an additional problem inthat the positively driven feed roll which responds by rotation in asingle direction in response to movement of the carriage in either oftwo directions over the cloth laying table cannot be brought immediatelyto rest upon the halting of the carriage at the end of a given stroke.Since it possesses considerable inertial rotation, it is known in theart to provide an overrunning clutch between the drive mechanism and theroller, so that as the carriage is brought abruptly to a stop, the driveroller merely freewheels to a stop. This motion allows additional clothweb slack in the area be tween the feed roller and the table, which mustbe taken up when the cloth laying carriage moves again in an oppositedirection. In very large machines, owing -to the abovementioned inertialrotation, this slack has often been excessive, and makes difficult thesubsequent feeding of the slack in a uniform and even manner.

It is therefore among the principal objects of the present invention toeliminate the formation of excessive slack in the cloth web in the areafollowing the positive drive roller, whereby subsequent feeding of thecloth web to the table is performed in a smooth, continuous andwrinkle-free manner.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improvedpositive clutch interconnecting the driven feed roller and the drivemeans for said roller, whereby movement of the carriage over the clothlaying table may take place in the absence of driven rotation of thefeed roller.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of improved meansfor braking the freewheeling feed roller by exerting a drag on thatsegment of the web leading from the supply roll to the feed roller,thereby eliminating excessive freewheeling of the feed roller and the3,284,017 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 occurrence of excessive slack in the webemanating therefrom.

A feature of the disclosed embodiment lies in the fact that theinventive construction forming a part thereof may be incorporated intoexisting cloth laying machine designs with relatively littlemodification.

These objects and features, as well as other incidental ends andadvantages, will more fully appear in the progress of the followingdisclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification,similar reference characters have been employed to designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevational view of an embodiment of theinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view as might be seen from theright-hand portion of FIGURE 1.

In accordance with the invention, the disclosed embodiment, generallyindicated by reference character 10, includes a carriage element 11having wheeled means 12 supporting the same for reciprocation over theupper surface 13 of a cloth laying table of well-known type, the detailsof which form no part of the present disclosure. In the preferred form,the carriage, being relatively heavy, is equipped with motor means 14driving the wheeled means 12, the motor being controlled by suitableswitching means (not shown) for reversal of direction at the end of acloth laying pass or stroke.

Supported by the carriage element 11 are a pair of supports, one ofwhich is indicated by reference character 15, having means at the upperend 16 thereof for retaining a cloth supply roll 17. One of the supports15 mounts cloth roll accelerating means 18 of the type disclosed in theabove-mentioned Patent 3,227,390. As more fully described in saidapplication, the means 18 includes a motor 19, and gear reduction means20.

Emanating from the cloth roll 17 is a continuous web 21 which passesabout .a first pivotally mounted nip roller 22, movement of which opensand closes a switch 23. From a consideration of FIGURE 1, it will beapparent that upon the occurrence of excessive slack in the web 21, theroller 22 will descend to contact the switch 23, opening the circuit tothe motor 19.

Dispose-d rightwardly from the nip roller 22, as seen in FIGURE 1, is asecond pair of support members, one of which is indicated by referencecharacter 24, which mount a positively driven feed roller 25 driven by asprocket chain 26 in response to reciprocating movement. The details ofthe drive are well-known, and form no part of the present disclosure,reference being made to US. Patent No. 3,094,319 granted to WalterDeichmann, and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application,as showing a typical arrangement suitable for use in the instantembodiment. Motion is transmitted through a clutch 27 of overrunningtype, the clutch being positively engaged and disengaged by an operatinglever 29. The lever 29 connects to .a link 30 to a spring 30a on arotatably mounted actuating shaft 31, positioned so as to keep theclutch 27 normally engaged by contact of a member 32 with the lever 29.

Describing orbital movement about an axis 33 are a pair of nip rollerarms, one of which is indicated by reference character 34, the lowerends 35 of which support a second nip roller 36. A short shaft 37supports a counterweight 38 to permit the nip roller 36 to oscillatedepending upon the degree of slack existing in the web in that area.

Riding on one of the arms 34 is a cam follower 32a on the actuatingshaft 31, so that when the nip roller is in its lowermost position, theclutch 27 is disengaged.

After passing about the first nip roller 22, the web passes about anidler roller 41, and thence to the feed roller 25. It then dropsdownwardly about the second nip roller 36, and subsequently about idlerrollers 42, 43 and 44, following which it drops to the box blades 45prior to being deposited upon the cloth laying table.

During operation, as the carriage moves over the surface of the clothlaying table, upon the occurrence of insufiicient slack in the web afterthe feed roller 25, the nip roller 36 will raise, causing the clutch 27to be engaged. The feed roller 25 now positively drives the Web as longasthe-clutch remains engaged. The motor 19 will rotate the cloth roll 17as determined by the position of the switch 23, in a continuous manner.

- As the cloth feed exceeds that required by movement of the carriageover the table, the occurrence of excessive slack at the ni roller 36will disengage the clutch 27, allowing the feed roller 25 to freewheel.Owing to the inertial of the roller, where the carriage has beenoperating at relatively high speed, considerable slack could occurbeneath the nip roller 36. However, as soon as the feed roller isdisconnected from theclutch, the inertial force causing it to continueto rotate is insufficient to overcome the drag of the web caused by theperiodically braked cloth roll 17. As the decelerating action andsubsequent ac- 'c elerating action takes place much more rapidly andoften than the interruption of the engagement of the clutch 27, theperiod of time during which the cloth feed roller is .permitted tofreewheel is materially shortened, and at no time is excessive Weballowed to accumulate beneath the nip roller 36. Thus, upon therecurrence of demand for cloth with resumed reciprocation of thecarriage element over the table, the slack beneath the nip roller 36 isquickly taken up, and both the nip rollers again perform the requiredcontrol function.

I Wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limitedto the precise details of structure shown and set forth in thisspecification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled inthe art to Which the invention pertains.

I claim:

Ina reciprocating cloth laying carriage having a principal axis ofreciprocation for use with a cloth laying table, the improvementcomprising:

(a) means for supporting a cloth supply roll for rotation about an axisperpendicular to said axis of reciprocation;

(b) electric motor means for accelerating and decelerating said rollusing dynamic braking upon the interruption of current flowing thereto;

(c). a first nip roller lying in the path of a web of material emanatingfrom a cloth supply roll disposed upon said supporting means;

(d) switch means conducting current to said motor means upon the absenceof sufficient slack in said Web of material in the area of said firstnip roller;

- (e) a driven feed roller engaging said web, and means for rotatingsaid feed roller in a single direction in response to reciprocation ofsaid carriage in either of two directions;

(f) overrunning clutch means interconnecting said feed roller and saiddriving means; t

(g) and a second nip roller engaging said web of material, and servingto engage said clutch in the absence of sufiicient slack in the area ofsaid second nip roller;

('h) whereby upon the occurrence of excess feeding by said feed roller,the corresponding occurrence of slack in the area of said second niproller will serve to disengage said clutch, following which theinterruption of positive feeding by said feed roller will cause theoccurrence of slack in said web in the area of said first nip roller andthe interruption of current to said mot-or means, said motor means thenacting as a dynamic brake upon said cloth supply roll, result-ingtension in said clot-h Web between said supply roll and said feed rollerserving to retard said feed roller.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS v 8/ 1949 Sayles270-31 2,966,353 12/ 1960 Deichmann 270-31 3,203,638 8/ 196-5 Theodosion242 75.43

FRANK J. COHEN,-Primary Examiner.

G. F. MAUTZ, Assistant Examiner.

